Kingdom of Leon
Justo Reino de León Donde Terminan los Vientos Verdes (Just Kingdom of Leon Where Green Winds End) known simply as the Kingdom of Leon to humans is a kingdom located south of The Grand Dutchy of Aragon and north across the Straight of Leon from the The Republic of Hell's Landing.
Structure
As the nation is a feudal estate with knights just above peasants also acting as the civil service, Vizconde/Vizcondesa as leading civil servants and administrators, Conde/Condesa as land holding nobility with rights to the Enlightened Parliament, a right shared by all above levels, the Marqués/Marquesa the royal judges and generals that serve at the Kings pleasure, the Duque/Duquesa who hold the highest estates of Alilla, Salitre, and Bajar, and lastly the Rey or King herself whom holds the final Authority.
The Enlightened Parliament mentioned before is a check upon the king, a constitutionally demanded moot of nobles to vote to approve, deny, or demand answers from the King, and set official fees on the king per her failure to act as seen as dignified to the office. Meanwhile the King makes all greater choices, subject to approval for the nation as a whole while the land holding nobility rule semi-autonomously. The kings Judges ensure the Nobles act as befits the nobility of their station and despite the on paper limitation of this system, it is said that few courts are as free from bribery, excess, and vile character as Leonese courts. For worse than any fee or even threat of violence is the threat of being known as undignified and rude.
Culture
Halfling culture dominates the region as does its population. Most people live as they always have expecting the same rights and dignity as always. Any real change is treated suspiciously and though much argument and debate is had few agree that drastic change would be much better. The people of Leon tend to live joyful lives, but simple ones. Each have their small hilly homes, their farms, their taverns and friends and feasts are common upon every season. The king looks after the struggling in winter, and so what if were not all dressed in gold and silk. Its about laughing, eating, have a good time, and being a right pleasure to be around.
Nobles share this attitude with normal excesses, even if minor compared to their cousins. Their parties are grander, clothes more splendid, but a nice set of armor a fine family flag, a functional and pleasant castle and an excellent ball are what the nobles demand. Few acknowledge that these are all partially funded by the slave culture to the north, as Halflings tend to find such a thing distasteful, but Halflings dislike loosing the economic comfort they're use to. The Empire brought slavery to the land, and like all things halflings finally get use to, they loathe to lose it.
Public Agenda
The Crown of Leon official position is that of status quo and quality for its free peoples. Low taxes, cheap food, the laws as has been forever, and peace between nations. As such they have a tense relationship with any expansionist factions, however Leon is quick to seek peace between parties. As debate is far more honorable than blood.
Assets
Their greatest assets are the low countries very arable land, and the high countries deposits of gold and saltpeter. The gold funds most of the government as tax levels of grain and gold are very very low as a rule.
History
Few know when the first Halflings arrived, though some records show them migrating behind the elves, the tendency towards a sedentary culture seems to be at odds with their arrival to the lands of Leon. Yet by the time the first Empire wrote of them and their conquest of the small petty halfling Kingdoms, they were an established fact as master spies, pleasant peoples, and fair folk. They were conquered and incorporated quickly though Halflings never lost their identity and culture even exporting it to the Human settlers who would become the Aragonesse.
The next big mystery is how the revolution in Leon started, as Halflings are slow to any sort of revolt. However the governor of Leon must have done something atrocious for the Leonesse tossed him out and shockingly declared independence in 137 starting the First Wine War. The second Empire's response was slowed by the sheer unbelievability of it, and though the legions of the Empire were initially effective, the governor of Aragon had turned again the Empire thus the legendary work of Leonese spies were beginning to earn their legacy. The following war would be bloody and long, with an unhappy Empire loss. However it would burn forever a nationalist expectation for independence and a disdain for war in the Halflings of Leon. They would come to Aragon's defense in the future, as they would enter in an alliance that has lasted unbroken for 900 years. Yet Leon has never started an offenses war, instead shrewd diplomacy and spycraft would do the work. Allowing them as an example to skillfully avoid involvement in the blunder of a war that was the second Wine War
Yet in the modern day that would not spare them The Tiefling War would cost thousands of halfling lives and force harsh restrictions on slavery and reparations of saltpeter on Leon as well as a stunning understanding of how left behind they were technology. Now as the King seems unwilling to modernize and loose their culture and sustainable way of life, there is a growing Anxiety amongst the people that has been little assuaged.
Demography and Population
Territories
The Península del Viento Verde or Peninsula on the green wind, makes up the entirety of the Kingdom of Leon, a land of low lying fields, hidden hilly forests, and the occasion light partial deserts, irrigated by small quick rivers from the hills and occasional pleasant lakes.
Military
Most military is simple local militias, and the many knights of the local lord. The king hosts a proud army of Mastiff Knights which despite the name are legendary in their efficiency and dignity as an order of honorable knights. There are some Griffon knights and hippogryph knights that serve the king and her lords as well, though in times of war the army will mostly be Levy. The royal Navy is mostly a handful or recent ships from the last war, built for the recent defense and only really used to fight pirates. In times of war ships are built, otherwise they are not used.
Technological Level
The kingdom is slow to adapt to new technology at any level as must great infrastructures built in the kingdom are done from Royal prerogatives and former Imperial mandates. Still despite the basic farm based agricultural society the kingdom has plenty as its rulership is shockingly low in terms of corruption and halfling technology and needs have always been met with low ecological damage allowing the society to operate with little need for change. This is often attributed to Halflings preference for sameness and stability.
Religion
The kingdom of Leon follows the old Imperial Pantheon, prefering the normality it provides religiously, though most people of the kingdom day to day focus more on the Halfling gods Arna, Chauntee, Lliira and the foreign brought god Tymora. Here clerics and church authority is second to secular concerns and local worship is most common. instead Paladin orders travel the land more in service to concepts like Crown and Joy than God. Druidism is much more common here than in other regions as it is said the halfling ways of living are more in tune with a sustainable earth than other cultures.
Foreign Relations
Active foreign diplomats to all countries actually being one of the few to have light light trade and relations with The Taifas, long alliance and open trade with The Grand Dutchy of Aragon, a growing concern for both Hell's Landing and a historical wariness of The Edren Empire.
Agriculture & Industry
Leon has despite a focus on sustainable agriculture, an overabundance of arable farmland compared to their fairly stable population and thus manage to be a food exporter trading much of it in exchange for the wine coming in from Aragon. Most clothes are homespun and goods like metal work and pottery a local affair with farm market economies dominating.
In the northern hills especially in the lands of Salitre there is a massive amount of mine work, unusual for the Halfling culture, these were traditionally the semi-rich iron and gold mining in the area, all owned by the Royal Family and used to fund the Kingdoms many projects and run by use of Tiefling enslavement and is the only area of industry slavery is permitted after the Tiefling War and both are ghosts of the first empires attempt to Industrialize the region.
Lately however, the kingdom has seen some economic growth from the recent popularity of saltpeter found commonly in the caverns initially dug out to access now emptied ore. These deposits provide not just fertilizer for trade but ended up key to black powder, and thus it is no surprise it is the main part of the debt payments made to Hell's Landing
Trade & Transport
Leon isn't that active in the trade scene with some swaps of wine from Aragon, and silver from Hells Landing in exchange for saltpeter and food. Leon mostly sees its needs met by its own natural wealth and the internal light industry of the country. However the city of Leon remains a hot bed of a trade between ships and as a major rest stop on the way into the Great Roda Sea and along the wheel of sea lanes providing Inn and Tax traffic.
Education
Wizards Conclave of Alilla provides and unusual amount of magical education despite being an otherwise small seaside town. Here are by all accounts the greatest students of the school of Illusion and some whisper that the wizards of Alilla actually act as the Royal Spies of Leon, as it is known that Leon makes up for its small army with an army of spies unlike any other small kingdom in the world.
Also a major source of Education can be found in the Capitol of Leon where the famous College of Eloquence can be found, training the youth and nobility in the art of debate and storied argument as the power of the word and reasoned argument is always seen as a moral superiority.
However beyond the elites most Halflings are taught a surprisingly heavy amount of education in public royal academies for the youth in most major towns and villages as it is deemed a kings responsibility to educate the youth of the Leonese. This has lead to an unusual truth that the Leonese are some of the most well educated peoples in the world.
Infrastructure
Leonese are usually a very sedentary people and such the great highways that connect the cities of Leon all date from the first empire. Sea lanes are abound but these are usually from outside naval forces. In the end most people follow the old dirt roads as they always have. There is railroads connecting the small semi-industrial city of Bajar but almost all of that rail was placed there by the Roadez Noble Rail Company.
Founding Date
137
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
Leon, The Halfing Kingdom
Predecessor Organization
Demonym
Leonese
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Constitutional
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Currency is little tear shaped coins of plain look baring only the name of the king and the age. 1 copper tear, 10 silver tear, 50 electrum tear, 100 gold tear, 1000 Platinum tear
Major Exports
Leon exports very little but food, saltpeter, and some gold and halfling goods.
Major Imports
Leon imports very little outside of the occasion curiosity and Aragonesse wine.
Legislative Body
Enlightened Parliament
Judicial Body
Royal Judges, Feudal Courts, Enlightened Parliament
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Neighboring Nations
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